Guatemala 6/29/2019 - 7/13/2019 |
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Thursday, 7/4/2019 - Lake AtitlanToday is 4th of July (Independence Day in the United States), so I have today and tomorrow off from work. It was nice not to have to be up and online by 6:30 or 7 a.m.!For breakfast, we had cornflakes, bananas, hard boiled eggs, chocolate milk, and coffee. Then we spent some time playing with the kids. We gave Ian a construction Duplo set. Eddy helped him put it together initially, and then Ian took over. Ian is able to play independently and keep himself occupied for long periods of time. We gave Aracely and Eddy a Lego Movie Maker, a kit which allows you to film Lego animation on a smartphone, editing it using a free app. We watched some YouTube videos with tips and tricks on how to use it, and Aracely and Eddy worked together to construct the sets and the small trolleys to hold your phone steady while you film. For lunch, we had fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and fresh picante. Aracely and Eddy built their Lego at the dining room table and put "Wreck It Ralph" on the TV. Craig and I saw snippets of it yesterday, but today we watched it start to finish. It was very entertaining; we will need to watch it in English some time as I am sure we will find it even funnier. When Paola, Cristian, and Vanesa returned home from work, we offered to take everyone to Sarita for ice cream. This is always a fun tradition. Last year, Craig had been unable to go to Sarita with us because he was sick in bed with Lyme disease. This year he intended to make up for it. Yoselin and Yasmin were in school, so they were unfortunately unable to join us. Humberto stayed home to tend to his plants, and Eddy was quite deep into his Lego and decided to stay home and continue building. But Paulina, Vanesa, Paola, Cristian, Aracely, and Ian went to the closest Sarita. The place was empty when we arrived, and we ordered for the 8 of us. Soon an additional 10 customers arrived. I felt sorry for the lone employee who prepared our 8 ice creams while everyone else waited. We sat at a pair of tables to enjoy our ice cream, Craig eating his banana split and me eating my brownie sundae. After finishing our ice cream, we walked along the lake. Although the family was chilly, Craig and I were finally comfortable now that the tropical sun was not beating down on us. They have done a lot to spruce up the lakefront, including adding new paths which are wheelchair accessible! There are also many colorful murals depicting the natural and cultural beauty of the area. Not only is this gorgeous crater lake surrounded by Mayan villages an international destination; there are also many Guatemalan tourists who will come here on holiday. A flat area overlooking the lake was populated with outdoor public exercise equipment of the type that we first saw in China. This concept has been slowly expanding to other places where China has influence; we have seen it in Ecuador, and now here it was in Guatemala. What a great place to exercise, with a gorgeous view of three volcanoes! The twilight was beautiful. Ian had boundless energy, and was running up the pathways and jumping from concrete walls. It was cute to watch him do it because he had little rituals that he performed each time. On the walk home, I used my SkyView app to identify planets and constellations. The kids thought that it was pretty cool. By the time we got back to the house, Eddy had already gone to his boxing class. A woman came by selling paches and yucca, and Paulina bought some as a quick and easy supper. Paches are a regional dish which is similar to a tamale, but made from potatoes rather than corn. They are steamed wrapped in a bundle of leaves, and the color of the string tying it together indicates the type of filling. As all of the kids have gotten older and have their own school, work, and activity schedules, the family often dispenses with a formal evening meal. People eat what is available at the time, with an increasing reliance on foods prepared by others in the community or convenience foods purchased at the grocery store. |
 Ice cream at Sarita  Lake Atitlan  Panajachel mural by the lake See all photos from this day |
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